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Subaru boosting US capacity thanks to strong sales

It is very, very good to be Subaru right now. The company is rolling, with its global operating profits increasing 21 percent last quarter. While part of that is due to favorable currency conditions, the simple fact is that Subaru is selling a hell of a lot of cars, particularly in North America. The company's North American branch is expected to hit its sales goal of 600,000 units per year five years ahead of schedule, after moving 570,000 units in the recently completed fiscal year (remember, the Japanese fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31). Last quarter alone, Subaru NA saw a 12 percent increase in sales, significantly more than either the company's home market or the increasingly vital Chinese market, where sales declined by one and 14 percent, respectively. With such promising results, it's no surprise that Fuji Heavy Industries President Yasuyuki Yoshinaga announced plans to bump up production at the company's Indiana factory. Yoshinaga-san is pushing for annual capacity of 394,000 units by the end of calendar year 2016, Automotive News reports, adding that inventory levels in the US are too low. "If only we had more cars, we could be selling more," Yoshinaga told AN during a news conference. FHI's previous plans for the factory were much less aggressive. Originally, production would be expanded to 328,000 units by 2017, AN reports, with an eye towards a full 400,000 units per year by 2021. With 394,000 rolling out of the Lafayette, IN factory by next year, though, it's clear how keen Subaru is to take advantage of such strong demand. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Dave Umberger / Associated Press Earnings/Financials Subaru sales fuji heavy industries

Toyota GT86 GT4 racer is ready for UK competition

It's about time we saw someone cook up a legitimate race version of the delectable Toyota GT86, and now it looks as if GPRM has done just that. The Buckingham-based race engineering team has built the creation you see here, complete with a turbocharged 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder boxer cooked up by Nicholson McLaren Engines. The team says the new mill delivers between 360 and 400 horsepower to the rear wheels depending on final testing, which is a sight bit more than the 197 horses the naturally aspirated stock mill offers.
The car will compete in GT4 events, including the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. Technically, the GPRM effort isn't factory backed, but the team says the effort "has the blessing of Toyota Great Britain." How could it not? You can check out the brief press release below below, and be sure to take a closer look at the machine in our gallery.

Hotter Subaru WRX STI teased for Detroit, probably the S209

We reported yesterday about Subaru filing an application to trademark the name "S209" for the U.S. Today, Subaru released a teaser video for what we think is that exact car: the WRX STI S209. In a video titled "From Japan with Love," Subaru is seen lapping Virginia International Raceway in a slightly-hotter-than-normal, camouflaged STI. At first glance, it's easy to see it as the STI Type RA from earlier this year. However, looking closer at the aero package reveals a little bit more. A side-by-side comparison between this car and the Type RA reveals prominent canards in front of the wheels, exclusive to what we'll call the S209. No such pieces exist on the Type RA. To make those canards flow into the bodywork, it looks like Subaru tacked on some fender flares surrounding the front and rear wheels. It's noticeably different from other STI variations, so we'll see if Subie keeps them for the production car. Beyond that, it's hardly any different than the Type RA in appearance. The gigantic wing is accounted for, as are the gorgeous gold wheels. Another reason we think this is the S209 is Subaru's video description. It reads, "Something special from Subaru Tecnica International is coming to America for the first time ever." The S20(X) series that started in 2000 with the S201 has been never come stateside before. This series has traditionally produced STIs that have more power, suspension and aero than your regular STI. Most recently, the S208 used a 2.0-liter turbo flat-four that put out 329 horsepower and 319 pound-feet of torque. Of course, the U.S. is still dealing with Subaru's Byzantine-era EJ25 2.5-liter flat-four. More power can be had past that engine's 305 horses it makes here now, so we'll see if that's the route Subaru plans to take. Subaru ended by saying it'll be revealing the car at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The wait won't be long for what we imagine will be the new king of Subarus in the U.S. Related video: